Resume Tip Tuesday: You Don’t Need to Meet 100% of Qualifications

Welcome to Resume Tip Tuesday! Come to CareerBliss every Tuesday for a brand new resume tip to help you in your job search! Check out the archive for more tips.

Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that women generally apply to a job when they believe they meet every single requirement in a job posting.

Men, on the other hand, will apply if they think they meet at least 60 percent of the qualifications.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule about the percentage of requirements you need to meet before applying to a job because it varies by position and person. However, you should apply if you meet most of the requirements and feel confident about learning the rest.

Don’t let just a couple bullet points deter you from going for it!

Ask Yourself: Can You Do the Skills Necessary on Day 1?

James R. Westhoff, director of career services at Husson University advises his clients to apply if they meet more than 50-60 percent of the requirements.

“Especially if you have transferrable skills that are similar and they can quickly learn the technical requirements of the job,” he says. “In my experience, I have found that a lot of the hiring decision comes down to personality fit and fit with the team over direct skills.”

Highlight Your Soft Skills

If you don’t have a couple of the technical skills mentioned in the requirements, don’t draw attention to them. Instead, emphasize other transferrable, soft skills. Talk about a time that you have learned a hard skill really fast.

You have a lot to gain and little to lose.

Barry Maher, of Barry Maher & Associates, agrees and says you shouldn’t get too caught up on requirement numbers. He says:

“It’s simply about two things: Whether you can do the job and whether you can convince the company that you’re the best person to do it.”

Bethany Perkins, head of recruiting at Software Advice, adds essential to make sure your understand the job as well. Research the company, its needs and industry. Search people who work at the company on LinkedIn to figure out what kind of structure and resources the company offers. Conduct a quick informational interview if you can. Make sure you "feel confident that your talent would help you do the job well," Perkins says.

All in all—especially women—don’t skip the job posting if you don’t meet 100% requirements!

The CareerBliss Team

CareerBliss cares about your career happiness. That's why we offer a variety of great tools and resources to help you make better-informed career decisions. We believe that if you're happier at work, you'll be happier in life! Check out company reviews, salary information, career advice and, of course, millions of jobs on CareerBliss and choose happy today!